Reader
by fojg24-aka 24
Summary: Jarod meets an unusual woman.


Disclaimer: "The Pretender" and its characters do not belong to me they belong to TNT and NBC and are being used without permission. Please don't sue because I have no money.

Author's Note: Madeline is a mind reader and image reader and the italics are what the people that she comes in contact are thinking in their minds. The timeline may be around the time where Sydney and Miss Parker found all those files and Jarod's hood and Angelo took them.

Reader

By: 24

Madeline Star walked to the park and sat on one of the benches. She had known that she was different when she was a little girl. Her parents treated her normally even if they knew what she could do. They told her that she should never reveal her abilities to people outside the family. She did use them whenever she felt like it, but never told the person what happened. She watched a dark haired man walk past her and sit on the bench next to her. He sat there watching the ducks and geese in the pond.

"How come I never got to see ducks or geese? Look how they just majestically rise out of the water. How come I never got to go swimming? Will I ever find my parents again and have their arms around me. Will I ever get to know my little sister that I only found out about? I want to stop running, but if I do they will catch me and I can't have that. I can't let them exploit me like they did last time. I can't believe that they used my work to do what they did. The work that I thought was helping people, but in fact was used in the opposite. I can't let them do that to me again. I can't let them use me to hurt and kill people. Why can't they just leave me alone? I want a normal life. A life where I'm not locked up under the world and where I can just stay in one spot. I want the family that I was stolen from around me. Oh, I hear an ice cream truck. I love ice cream ever since I found out what it was when I escaped. There are a lot of flavors to choose from. At least I can eat whatever I want to on the outside instead of that green glop. So many discoveries already like pez, Twinkies and other stuff."

She watched as the dark haired man look at the families around the pond and he seemed so sad. He watched the families play around the park and eat from picnic baskets. She watched him smile as he heard an ice cream truck playing their endless lists of songs they always play. He got up and walked towards it getting out his money to pay the man in the van.

She got up from the bench and walked towards him. She watched as he opened the ice cream and smiles at its flavor. She too got an ice cream and turned to the dark haired man.

"Hi. My name is Madeline."

"Hi. I'm Jarod."

"Nice to meet you Jarod. Are you staying around here?"

"For a while. I'm staying just down the street."

"Oh. I live down the block in a light blue house."

"So do you like ice cream?"

"Yes, its very good."

"What else do you like?"

"Pez, Twinkies, donuts, candy and other stuff."

"Really."

She's very pretty. I like her.

She smiled at him because of what he had said in his mind. She thought that he was handsome and liked him too. They went back to the benches again and talked some more.

They decided to see each other again and would meet again soon.

Jarod walked her to her house and found out that he lived right next to her.

That night she sat on her bed crossed legged and closed her eyes. She found out that she could read minds and see what they were dreaming from a distance when she concentrated.

Jarod was sitting at the table with two men. One was trying to make an origami figure out of paper and the other was sitting there. She could see that Jarod was trying to teach the man how to fold origami when another man came in. She saw the man shot the man named Kenny and then Jarod giving them the disk. Then the other man killed the shot man and Jarod kneeled beside his friend and cry for him. She saw another image. This time it was Jarod in a cage and handcuffed to something above his head. She saw someone come in with jumper cables and saw him being shocked. She had also seen him hosed down in the cell. Another image came into her mind. This one was of him trying to get out of two burly men's grips as they forced him forwards towards this long silver cylinder. They punched him and set him on the slab and then they restrained him. Some other men came in and one of them gave Jarod something in a syringe. She saw him flat line and then they brought him back. She saw when he was a child and ask Sydney where his mom and dad where. Then some of the Sims and when he met Miss Parker. She saw some more and heard him say No, please, no.

She opened her eyes and stared at the house next to her. She had never wanted to do this until she met Jarod. He had such a tortured life from when he was taken when he was a child and he still had one whether he thought so or not. She wanted to know about this intriguing man and know all of his secrets.

During the day Madeline would periodically check the front window to see if Jarod had arrived yet. She worked at home, so that didn't prove a problem for her. She went back to her desk and poured over the papers on it. She was daydreaming when she quickly snapped out of it, quickly got up and looked out of the window. His car was already in the driveway and so she locked the door behind her and quickly made her way towards his house. When she got closer she could hear his voice.

"Sydney, please don't tell me you can't do this one thing for me."

"Please I need some information on my parents. Can't you at least give me that?"

"No, I trust you. I just don't trust them. I can't do that because they may have this line bugged. They might know that we meet to exchange information then they might catch me and I can't have that."

"Just give me part of my past. Don't I deserve that? I spent all my life away from them. I want to know more about my past."

"Okay, I'll get in touch with you soon."

She could hear the pain in his voice when he talked about his family. She could only hear what he said because the window was open. She knocked on the door and waited for him to open it.

"Hi Madeline."

"Hi. How was your day?"

"It was good."

To bad I'm not staying I would like to know her.

She was invited in and they talked over ice cream. Then they moved into the living room where they watched T.V. He had told her that he was separated from his family and was searching for them, but that was all.

She was walking up to his house a few days later when she heard his voice through the open window again.

"Hello Sydney. Did you find anything?"

"Are you sure? Did you check all the files?"

"They were gone?"

"You found what?" A shudder went through him as he heard that they found the hood that he was forced into when he was kidnapped.

A little boy was looking at a lunch box then turned off the light. He had just closed his eyes when a noise was heard and the little boy opened them again. Two men advanced on the frightened boy. The boy had serge of adrenaline and got out of bed to run. They grabbed him and forced a black hood on his head.

"Well, Thank you for looking."

He hung up the phone and then turned to the door as someone knocked on it. There stood a smiling Madeline. He just had to smile back at her.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

"So what do you want to do today?"

"How about sightseeing?"

"That's fine with me."

They left and she showed him the sights of the town.

A month later he walked up to her house and knocked on her door.

How am I going to tell her that I have to leave? I'm going to miss her.

The door opened with Madeline standing there grinning at him.

"Jarod, please come in."

"I can't. I have to tell you that I'm going to be leaving today. I know I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't do it."

"It's okay Jarod. I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too Madeline."

They hugged each other and Jarod got into his car. He drove away and Madeline watched him go. She wasn't kidding when she said she would miss him.

A day later four people came to his house and broke in. She watched from the front porch as they walked into the house.

She watched a young girl walk up to a clear plastic wall and watched the young boy behind it. She wondered who he was and why he had things stuck to his body. She was surprised that he asked if she was a girl. Didn't he ever see one? She then saw the same girl go up to Jarod and give him a kiss.

Where is the lab rat? Why can't I ever catch him and take it back? When will I ever get my freedom? I want wonder boy back in his cage.

She watched a younger Sydney talk to a camera saying this one's been with us 36 hours and showing more talent then the rest of them. She saw him say my name is Sydney and I'll take care of you. She watched the younger Jarod say why where are my mom and dad.

Good for you Jarod. Don't let them catch you.

She saw the bald headed man as he saw Jarod in his house and then glance at his daughter. She saw the shocked expression as he found out that Jarod was the reason why he had custody of his daughter.

I hope they never catch you Jarod.

She watched as they came to her porch.

"Have you seen this man?" Miss Parker thrust a picture of Jarod in her face.

"Yes."

"When did he leave?"

"Yesterday."

"We missed him again, Syd."

They turned and walked away. She smiled as they got into their car.

The End


End file.
